Almost Lover
by beautymarked
Summary: AU-RoryOther--Rory Gilmore is smart, beautiful and yet has been tragically heart broken after finding her boyfriend in bed with another man. How will she get on with her life? Read and Review please.
1. And I Thought Gay Was the New Straight

**Chapter One**

She never thought the day would come. She never thought the most important moment of her young life would pass her by so quickly, merely brushing past her existence and flying away to grace some other lucky girl's life. Then again, the most important thing, to her, was being in love and we all know that these things don't exactly last an eternity…

Rory Gilmore was crying, and these weren't any ordinary tears, but the kind that came in great swells and rained down your cheeks until they burned a crisp red. She had been crying for an hour already after finding her "one true love" in bed with another man. And not just any other man but her boyfriend's pool boy. How's that one for the stereotype! Needless to say she was absolutely devastated and had no reason to go on living—or at least that's the way she saw it. She lifted another tissue from the box and blew her nose loudly before tossing it onto the already large pile beside her bed.

The sound of Justin Timberlake's Lovestoned echoed from her purse by the door but she continued to ignore it as she grabbed yet another tissue, discarding it again on the mucus pile beside her. As the song started it's fourth repeat of the chorus she pushed herself off of the bed and answered with a nasally "Hello?"

"Rory darling I've been trying to get a hold of you all week. Where have you been? Rory, what's wrong, are you ill?" the voice of her grandmother rang over the line.

She rolled her eyes. "Nothing grandma, just a little cold." _A little cold, shriveled, run over and stepped on heart_.

"Oh well fine, dear, fine. Just take some medication and drink some water. You'll feel fine tomorrow." She normally enjoyed conversations with her grandmother, but when you just experienced the most devastating thing imaginable—well one wasn't in the mood for her dear old mother.

"Is there something you needed grandma?" she pinched the bridge of her nose to release some of the tension before swiping a hand through her chocolate coloured hair.

"Oh I wanted to know if you would like to come to dinner this weekend at the club with your grandfather and I. He's being honoured for his donations to the golf course. They even named a hole after him. Isn't that just divine?! Oh and you can bring that boyfriend of yours, Steven was it?"

"Umm...," tears began to well up in her eyes and she had to choke them back in order to hide her state from her oblivious grandmother. "I c-can't mom…Steven and I are going to the theatre for a show. We've had tickets for quite a while now and it's closing night…" Lying to her grandmother was easy with her eyes closed. Well, even when they were open it wasn't so hard, but face to face she had this little twitch of her nose that always gave her away.

"Oh that's dreadfully disappointing. Send him my love, won't you dear? Kiss kiss," she hung up the phone and left Rory with the dial tone.

"Bugger," she cursed followed by a few of her own choice words and then set herself back onto her tear stained bed. Staring at the ceiling she thought about the times she spent with Steven and wondered if there were any signs. None immediately came to mind. They had been together for nearly two years and were perfectly happy right until last week when she found Steven with Billy in her bed of all places. She kicked him out of their apartment immediately and without a doubt knew he just shacked up with Billy the pool boy right then and there. The only shame was that they were in the same program at Yale—both English majors trying to be journalists.

She would see him every day for at least the next two years—it couldn't be helped with them being into exactly the same classes. They'd made freshman year during Frosh week. Her blue eyes met his big green ones and it was love at first sight…or so she thought. Scratch that, there was a second shame. Steven was the most beautiful man she had ever seen with dark brown hair and piercing green eyes. He had toned arms and a sculpted chest and abdomen that screamed male-model. Yet he was modest and smart and looked at her like she was the only woman for him. Apparently that was truer than she understood.

Another round of Lovestoned echoed from her purse and without thinking she picked it up. "Grandma, I told you we're going to the theatre so you'll--" she was cut off.

"Rory, it's me, Steven," she nearly dropped the phone as her hand flew up to her mouth in shock.

"Steven?" she said softly before coming to her right mind, "What the fuck do you think you're doing calling me up like this? Have you no decency?!"

"Whoa, Ror," he cooed, her nickname that she loved so much before but hated it now, "Ror I get that you're upset but we need to talk about this. There are some things we need to discuss…" she could sense the urgency in his voice.

"Discuss this asshole!" She clicked the end button and turned off her phone immediately.

Sighing she stood up from her bed and trampled through the snot rags at her feet. Quickly she walked to the bathroom and turned the shower on to scalding so that she could wash away the filth she'd gathered over the past few days in bed. The water streamed down her body like a blanket of forgetfulness, washing away the two, happy years she'd spent with Steven, washing away the pain he had caused her, washing away the loss of her best friend. In fact, she had few friends to turn to these days as she had ostracized herself from everyone in order to spend every waking moment with Steven. Wait, this shower was supposed to help her forget about Him. From now on, she wouldn't even mention his name, nor think about it, nor write it down. In fact, He was officially erased. Officially.

As she left the shower, she stared at the steamed mirror, her body wrapped in a cozy white towel, her hair hanging in loosely on her shoulders. She drew a heart into the mirror and walked out ready to find something to wear and maybe attempt to leave her apartment.

She stared at the clothes in her closet and realized His still hung next to hers as he hadn't taken everything with him when he had scurried out just last week. In fact, his razor and shaving cream still sat in the cupboard, and his favourite mug sat at the sink. Sighing she chose some clothes and threw them on her bed. The sound of the doorbell and she stopped her motions, curious as to who could be here at five in evening. She hadn't spoken to anyone in a few days, nor invited anyone over, so she decided it would be best to just answer the door.

Still clad in only her soft, white towel, she yelled "Coming," and opened the heavy black door with a smile, albeit a small one, but a smile none the less. There stood a devilishly handsome young man with a bewildered look caressing his face, holding two Venti sized Starbuck's cups. "Why hello there," she said smoothly and smiled gracefully at the young man.

"Rory, how are you? And what the hell are you doing in a towel?" the young man asked handing over the cup, trying to avoid imagining her naked beneath the soft, billowy fabric.

"I feel like shit, and I just got out of the shower…Ahh Dark Roast, my favourite!" She took the lid of to breathe in the intoxicating liquid and took a big sip before setting it down on the kitchen counter top.

"That explains it all. So, am I the first person you've made contact with in the past week?" he asked, taking off his dark leather jacket and setting it on a chair casually.

"Well aside from avoiding calls from my mother and filling tissues with mucus, I've been in my bed crying, so yeah I would say you are the first person I have made contact with." He laughed at her quietly before drinking some of his own latte. "So what do I owe to this unexpected visit?" she said, her spirits finally feeling lifted.

"I came to check on you, seeing as how you've also avoided my calls all week and to take you out to dinner."

Let's pause here so you can understand the amazing guy standing in front of Rory at this moment. Landon Deaker, Aquarius, twenty-one year old Yale Commerce student. He's in the top ten percent of his class, captain of the swim team and has the most incredible brown eyes imaginable. Not to mention he's been a friend of Rory's since the third grade when she traded him her snack pack for a container of carrots. Basically friends at first snack time. Play.

"Well you have impeccable timing because I haven't eaten, in like, a week and I'm just realizing it now. But alas, I am still in a towel. So give me five minutes and I'm all yours." She smiled brightly at him, incredibly sincere for a girl who just got her heart broken, and rushed into the next room to step into a pair of skinny jeans and a long sweater. She pulled her hair back and put on a little mascara and lip gloss and stepped back into the room.

"Wow. You are the only girl I know who stays true to her word with the whole five minute thing." Landon grabbed his jacket and drink, also grabbing Rory's while she put on her coat. "Shall we m'lady?" he offered her his arm and she took it carefully.

"We shall." They left the spacious apartment and headed down towards the elevator, heads bowed in laughter as they told each other silly inside jokes. The beep sounded the arrival of the lift and as they looked up, the smile dropped from Rory's face.

"Steven, what are you doing here?"

--

Hope you all enjoyed. I know it's short, but I wanted to see your own thoughts and reactions first before I continued. Chapters will generally get longer as I go. So review please and let me know how you like it.

3 Beautymarked


	2. Didn't You Know? Broken Hearts are

Thanks for your reviews. I hope you all enjoy what you're reading because I have a bunch of ideas for this story. Anyways, please keep reviewing, it makes me smile 

Suggested Playlist: Keith Urban's "Tonight I Wanna Cry"

**Chapter 2: Didn't You Know? Broken Hearts Are ALL the Rage**

Rory stared speechless as her ex-boyfriend approached her, his adorable "concerned" face reading her sympathetically. He pouted at her carefully and took a step towards her, enveloping her in tight hug. For a moment she lost herself in his arms and took a deep breath of his deliciousness: a mix of peppermint and Abercrombie cologne. Her arms found their way around his back and she snuggled for a moment allowing a few tears to escape her eyes. It wasn't until she heard a blunt "Ahem", that she woke from her senses and pushed the traitorous man away.

"Damnit Steven!" she screamed and looked towards Landon for some kind of help. He gave her a kind smile and stepped forward.

"Look Steven, I think it's best if you just go right now. Rory is in no mood to deal with you and I really think that you leaving is the best idea." Landon spoke clearly and grabbed Rory's hand reassuringly.

Steven looked back and forth between them before smiling broadly, much like the Cheshire cat—only he didn't have purple stripes across his stomach. He pursed his lips carefully for a moment before adjusting his khaki jacket around him. "Ror, look, I really just want to talk…to explain what you saw…I've been trying to tell you for some time now… I just--"

"You just decided to be a shithead and cheat on me with another MAN! God, Steven I really think you should just get out of here. I really want nothing to do with you. You can come by tomorrow and get your stuff between the hours of one and four, no earlier no later. Understand?" Rory meant business, putting on a solid face, trying to appear emotionally untouched by the situation.

"Baby, look. I'm gay. It's not your fault. I know this hurts but I do love you. Just for the record I have always loved you. The only thing that Billy has that you don't is a penis."

This wasn't exactly the right thing to say to Rory at that moment, for she gathered up all her strength, stretched back and punched Steven as hard as she could right on the nose. Blood gushed suddenly and Rory's face reddened out of anger. She shook out her fist as pain began to rush to her knuckles. Landon looked at the woman in front of him shocked, yet proud. The last time he'd seen her hit someone was in fifth grade when Charlie Baxter had called her an idiot. She really did not like being called names.

Steven stumbled to stand against the wall as he clutched at his nose. Unsure of what to do Rory fiddled with her hand before pressing the down elevator button in front of her. The doors flew open and she turned to look behind her, "Landon are you coming or what?" She stepped into the open doors, Landon following close behind, too afraid to laugh at the situation.

They rode down the building in silence, both of them stunned from what had just happened. Finally Rory was the first to find her voice. "He just thinks he can waltz in and say its not my fault he's gay and that he knows I'm heart broken but he loves me anyways! Who the hell does he think he is? I mean, I find him in bed with that stupid Billy and all he says to me is 'This isn't what it looks like!'…What else would two, naked men in bed look like they were doing? Playing Parcheesi?!"

"Parcheesi?" he spoke with a laugh, causing her to growl at him. He stopped immediately but decided to put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Listen Rory--"

"No, no. I don't want to talk about it. It's not going to help. You should know that by now. Let's just go get drunk!" she announced, strutting out of the elevator into the street. He followed close behind, the doors closing swiftly behind him as they walked down the street to the closest pub. It wasn't far from her apartment and was usually filled with rowdy college students. Tonight was no exception as the bar was quite crowded with people drinking in the end of week classes on two-dollar Thursday's. Rory had moved much quicker in the place, stepping up to the bar and ordering a shot of tequila and two beers. She downed the shot quickly, savoring the burn that assaulted her throat before handing Landon one of the beers.

She downed the first beer quickly before Landon could have even two sips of his. She ordered another quickly and began to chug that one back as well before Landon put a comforting hand over her own, lowering the bottle from her soft, pink lips. "Slow down their champ. Drinking that fast will just make you sick, not make you forget." He drank a few more gulps of his beer to finish it before slamming it down on the bar. "Let's go get some food, you haven't eaten yet," he offered, eyeing her carefully as she finished the last of her beer.

She eyed him suspiciously before nodding and leading the way out of the pub and onto the street again. She wiped her lips with the back of her sleeve to rid herself of the remains of her beer before grabbing his hand and leading him to a pizza joint nearby. They ordered a medium cheese pizza and sat at a small, burgundy covered booth in the back corner of the restaurant. She let her head fall into her hands, feeling the weight of her emotions rising up. She was about to cry again and she wanted to kill herself right there and then. Shaking her head, she looked across at her favourite boy in the entire world: Landon, her best friend since the beginning of time… Or so it seemed.

"Senior Prom," she whispered dreamily, looking off towards the other side of the restaurant, lingering on a happy blonde woman with some spiky haired guy. They were laughing over something the man had just said and looked so happy. That used to be her and Steven. They always came here, shared a pizza and then scurried back to their apartment to kiss the night away and enjoy other's company. Not anymore.

"What?" he asked, confused at where she was going with this.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking back at him, the images of Steven's full lips escaping her vision.

"You were saying Senior Prom. What about it?"

"Oh. Senior Prom. That was the first and last time you and I went out on a 'date'." She laughed suddenly remembering it like it was yesterday. "You picked me up in your dad's corvette, looking dashingly handsome and walked me to the car. You even opened the door and shut it—on my dress!"

"You would remember the bad stuff," he laughed remembering back to that night. "That entire night was an absolute disaster. We got lost getting there and then you spilled that red punch all down the front of me. And if I'm not mistaken your ex-boyfriend Jerry Gordon came up and slugged me for dancing with you."

"And then we had this screaming match about how I didn't belong to him anymore and he tried to grab me and then you hit him!"

"I would defend your honor any day," he smiled at her.

"Oh Sir Landon, what would I ever do without you!"

"Probably die…" she laughed at this before putting on her pensive face again.

"I remember when you were thinking about going to UCLA. I was so upset," she was fading again, into the sadness that had once possessed her.

"But then I surprised you and showed up on your first day at Yale. You turned this really pale, pale white and then slapped me."

"I was LIVID. As if you made me think I would only see you on holidays… you mean, mean boy!"

"Hey, I changed my mind at the last minute. I didn't want to fight with you again, so I figured I'd just show up…And you gave me a big black eye. The girls I met that week all fawned over me like a wounded puppy…I'd told them I'd gotten in a fight with some guy defending your honor again and they all 'oood' and 'awwed' at how brave I was and how sweet. I got laid like three times that week!"

"You are so gross!" she laughed, scrunching up her nose.

"I'm just kidding. It was more like I just got a lot of numbers...and a lot of…ahem, offers shall we call them," he pulled at his collar jokingly before reaching across the table to hold her hand.

"You know I'm always going to be here, no matter whether some asshole dumps you or you just want to talk. I'm always here…" he looked into her eyes and she smiled brightly, but it faded quickly. Tears stormed to her eyes, threatening to spill out. She wiped at them savagely before turning away from him, hands covering her face.

"Rory…baby it's okay. Let's get this to go," he asked the waiter to box up their pizza, paid the bill and led her out of the restaurant and back to her apartment.

As soon as the door opened she ran in, embarrassed by her actions and turned quickly into her washroom, locking herself in. Landon put the pizza on the counter and went to the freezer, grabbing the bottle of vodka she kept there and knocked on the bathroom door. He could hear her whimpering, but couldn't seem to get to her. "Rory, open the door. I come bearing a gift," he sing-songed, and she unlocked the door, her face red from crying. She looked at the bottle in his hand and grabbed it, opening the top and taking a swig. He grabbed the bottle from her and took a swig himself before climbing into the bathtub and situating himself comfortably. She followed suit and sat down facing him, passing the bottle back and forth until it was nearly empty.

"Why does he have to b-be gay?" she hiccupped before handing her friend the bottle for his last gulp.

"Dunno…I donno howww anyone could go gaey with a ggirl like y-you," he slurred, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Am I not pretty enough?" She whined, trying to stand to look in the mirror, but lost her balance and crashed back to her previous position. She giggled a bit before sitting back roughly, hitting her head against the solid tub. "Ouch," she rubbed the back of her head and tried again, this time a lot slower.

"You are so pretty… Y-you are soooooo the prettiest girl I knoooow," he smiled at her drunkenly before reaching forwards, stretching across without being able to reach her face. He frowned before leaning forward, this time successfully caressing her cheek as she leant her head into his palm. Her cheeks were warm and wet as fresh tears began to fall from her eyes, memories flooding back, playing in front of her. He could see the pain that all of the happiness had caused her.

"I never want to love anyone ever again," she sobbed before bowing her head in shame and holding it in her arms and knees. She cried harder, willing the pain to go away but couldn't make it happen. She remembered her very first kiss with Steven. They had walking through campus on the first week of school, chatting happily and that's when she led him to the wall of some old, prestigious building and kissed him ever so softly. He smiled at her, ran his fingers through her silky hair and pulled her flush against him as he spun her so that her back hit the wall. She had melted in his arms that night, fallen for him right then and there. More tears hit her jeans and she just couldn't take it anymore.

And neither could Landon. Watching his closest companion cry was the hardest thing he had ever endured and he wanted it to end immediately. He grabbed her shoulder and lifted her chin carefully so she was looking at him full on. He wiped away her hair from her tear stained cheeks then dapped her tears with his sleeve. She smiled softly at him, leaning forward ever so slowly and pressed her lips to his with enough force to knock him backwards and have her fall right on top of him. It took him a moment to realize what was happening, so he just let her kiss him, knowing it was wrong but too inebriated to think against it. He slid his hands to her face, cupping it and pulling her closer as she parted her lips allowing him to swish a skillful tongue into her mouth. She tasted like the bitter vodka with a mix of strawberry lip-gloss. They dueled for a while before changing the game to teasing. She pulled back from him, placing soft kisses along his jaw and neck while his hands roamed down to her sides, squeezing her hips and the tracing the small slit of flesh that was exposed between her jeans and sweater.

He moaned as she nipped at a sensitive spot right below his ear, and he could feel her smirk radiate through his skin. His eyes flashed open to watch her as she slid a hand down his abdomen, raising his shirt carefully, tracing small circles all the way across his left side. He squirmed and she pulled back to look into his eyes. As he stared into her blue pools, he saw the haze of lust and couldn't stop himself from grabbing her forcefully and switching positions. They laughed drunkenly as he slipped a bit from the surface of the tub and the alcohol they had pulsing through their veins. This time he kissed her gently on the mouth and pulled back, she followed his lips, grabbing at his face to keep him close to her. He smiled against her lips and allowed her to wrap her legs around his waist. He was losing his mind and he really didn't care. He'd wanted to kiss her for far too long but had always waited for her to initiate it, knowing if he had it would completely ruin their friendship. He didn't care about tomorrow; he didn't care about any of the consequences. He just wanted to relish in the moment and enjoy the feeling of her wanting him in a way she never had shown before.

She licked at his bottom lip before sucking on it, pulling him back towards her. Her head was spinning but all she could do was kiss him because if she stopped she would remember all of the badness…all of the stupid memories and then this feeling erupting in the pits of her body would vanish. She couldn't let it go away that easily, so she kissed him again and again until her lips stung and her breathing was ragged. She pulled away, staring at him again, frowning as he looked just as intently into her eyes. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck, her legs still surrounding his hips. His hands were on either side of her head, pushing himself away just enough to catch his breath and try to clear the haze from his mind. Before he could even think straight she had pushed him backwards, releasing her legs from him and stood up. She frowned again, before turning to him, asking with her eyes for him to do the same. He stood up as well and she held onto him to steady herself as she left the tub. She looked over her shoulder before leaving the bathroom and wandered into the kitchen. He was dumbstruck and didn't know what to do. Was she scared? Was she angry at him? Did she want him to leave?

Shaking his head and leaving it bowed in shame, he grabbed the empty vodka bottle and vacated the bathroom to see where she had gone. He wasn't quite steady on his feet, so he leaned against the wall for support. He would definitely be regretting drinking that much in the morning, but right now he didn't care. Right now he had to find Rory. He looked across from the bathroom door and found her sitting on the kitchen counter, biting her lip. She stared at him intently, begging him to cross to her, but he was hesitant.

"Rory, I--" he tried but she cut him off with a silencing finger.

"No Landon. Just come here," she smiled at him seductively and he stumbled forward, as if being pulled to her by an invisible rope, unsteady on his feet and ready to fall. He caught himself as he reached the counter, placing a hand on either side of her open legs. He leaned forward and she dropped her hands to his hair, playfully digging into it, brushing it to the side. She kissed him softly before wrapping her legs around his middle again and pulled him closer. In turn her sucked on her bottom lip and picked her up off the counter as he stumbled towards the couch, dropping her roughly and falling on top of her. She giggled into his lips and he caressed her cheeks, before leaning back to take in her flushed face and swollen lips. She smiled before allowing a serious look to cross her face and sat up on her elbows. She bit her lip again, a nervous habit, and leaned back so that she could properly unbutton his shirt. She pushed him back, so that she could kneel up in front of him. She unhitched from the bottom up, bending to kiss his collar with each new button. She smoothed the fabric off his shoulders and ran her hands across his built shoulders, lingering and smiling at him. He could barely keep still, pulling her thick sweater over her head quickly, and running kisses down her neck, into her breasts and down her abdomen. She purred as he licked and nibbled on her skin before pulling his face back to hers and kissing him aggressively. She savored the taste of his lips against hers before allowing him to undress her and make her forget that Steven even existed.

---

A steady stream of sunlight struck her face causing her to grown and grab at her head. What had happened last night to make her head so heavy and achy? She tried to turn on her side but noticed a heavy weight pressing her down on the couch. A messy head of hair rested beneath her exposed chest, tickling her as she tried to wiggle away. So she was naked and there was a boy lying on top of her. Perching up on her elbows carefully, she peered over his head and noticed he was wearing a pair of green plaid boxers. Sighing in relief she lay back down, groaning again at the weight of her head. The boy on her stomach shifted again before turning his face to her skin.

He blinked a few times before looking up into her curious blue eyes and smiled sheepishly, turning his attention to her naked breasts. He looked back at her, her face amused at his exploration. Finally allowing his thoughts to collect, he sat up carefully, looking over his own half naked body, and removing himself from the entanglement of her legs. She was covered half-hazardly in a blanket that hung dangerously low across her hips. She pulled the blanket up under her arms, embarrassed at her nakedness, brushing a frustrated hand through her hair.

"Ummm," he began, not knowing what to say. She stared at him, still amused, grinning slyly. "So…vodka…bad idea." She giggled softly at this, still feeling drunk from the night before.

"I am still drunk…" she covered her eyes from the sunlight coming from the large uncovered window before remembering her nakedness. Suddenly feeling quite shy, she tightened the blanket around her body and watched as he moved further along to the other end of the couch, barely allowing her toes to graze his skin.

"Umm…" he tried again unsure of how to react to the events of the evening before.

"I'm naked…why am I naked?" she asked bluntly, followed by a swift blushing of her cheeks.

"Well, I…" he didn't understand how she couldn't piece together the previous evening's happenings.

She looked at his face carefully before widening her eyes in realization. "We had sex…why did we have sex?" she felt so out of her own skin at the moment she really didn't know what to do with herself. What was with the questions? Lovetsoned echoed from her purse across the room causing her to jump slightly before wrapping the blanket around her body. She jumped up quickly once she was fully covered and answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Rory, it's your mother, remember me? I'm the one who gave birth to you 21 years ago. I fed you, bathed you, changed those stinky diapers of yours, and I even dealt with you through puberty. So spawn of mine, why have you been neglecting my calls? I thought you'd been eaten by the garbage disposal or something," Lorelai's voice rang out steadily. Rory grabbed the bridge of her nose, not wanting to think about her recent break up and the headache it would cause.

"I've just been busy mom, nothing big…I'm going to come visit later today, so I'll see you around two okay?" she put a protective arm around her body, holding up the think blanket.

"Okay sweets, I'll see you in a few hours then…Say hi to Steven for me, bye" she heard the sound of kiss through the receiver followed by a dial tone. She threw her phone back into her bag and went to sit down on the couch again. Why wasn't she freaking out about having sex with Landon? Was it because she couldn't remember it, or did she really not care?

She looked over at him thoughtfully, noticing he was now fully dressed in his clothes from the night before. He looked nervous, unsure of himself, which confused her. Who had initiated this last night? Which one of them? She remembered being in the tub and a kiss…but who had kissed whom?

"Rory, maybe I should go?" he offered, not wanting to venture into an awkward discussion.

"Oh, alright, then," she suddenly felt very awkward, unsure of herself. He picked up his jacket from the kitchen counter, turning to face her before leaving the apartment. He gave her a hint of a smile and then left without another word.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she went to shower and ready herself for the drive to her mother's place in Stars Hollow. Her hometown always made her feel ten times better. She walked to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee and realized it was already noon. That meant that Steven would be here in about an hour and she needed to get out quickly. She rushed to the shower, washing herself clean of whatever had happened the night before, and dressed. Grabbing a travel mug, she poured some coffee and left her apartment, noting the time as 12:52. Steven wasn't one to be late, so she knew she needed to get out of there and fast.

Just as she was locking up she heard the familiar ding of the elevator doors. Without even turning around she knew who it was. She straightened her posture, placed a fake smile on her lips and turned towards her new visitor.

"Rory, hi. I didn't think you would still be here," Steven said, eyeing her up and down, noticing her wet hair and tired eyes. A tall blonde man stood behind him, looking away in an "I'm not here" manner.

"Steven…Billy," she spat out the second name, and brushed past them into the waiting elevator. "Don't be here after 4!" she called as the doors shut and tried to keep herself from crying. Of course he'd bring that goon with him to help move. Hopefully they'd just be in and out and wouldn't linger. She stepped out of the elevator and into the crisp, fall afternoon and headed towards the parking lot a few blocks over from her apartment. Finally reaching her car, she turned on the stereo and popped in her favourite CD. If anyone, Alicia Keys could brighten her day. She hummed along and drove onto the freeway, distancing herself from not only her stupid ex-boyfriend, but also her best friend… who knew what kind of awkwardness would be left between them tomorrow.

---

Will update super soon. I kind of write ahead, so this chapter has been sitting on my computer for a while. Let me know what you think! –beautymarked.


	3. Did I Say Awkward? I Meant Extruciating

**UPDATE: Please Read—**

 **I have chunks of this story written ahead, but I'm worried about what you all think since I haven't been getting a lot of feedback. If you could please review with your thoughts, I would be more confident in my postings. **

**I figure this story will be about 15 chapters or so, and I already have chapters 4 and 5 written, but I feel like I've been putting them out too quickly.**

**Anyways, I just ask that you give me some feedback and show me your love.**

**Thanks for your time everyone!**

Suggested Soundtrack:

--Scar Tissue- Red Hot Chili Peppers

--Sitting, Waiting, Wishing- Jack Johnson

**Chapter 3: Did I Say Awkward? I Meant Excruciatingly Awkward**

It took Rory nearly an hour to reach The Dragonfly Inn where her mother was currently harassing Michel to get his act together and stop his hysterics.

"Michel, I've told you at thousand times, no more lavender candles! If we had any more going we'd suffocate our guests to death and then the cops would come after me because I am your boss, and they'd assume it was my lavender and it would just be like that scene in American Beauty where Mena Suvari is like, plastered to the ceiling and the rose petals are falling onto Kevin Spacey, only it would be lavender… And it's just a mess!"

Lorelai took a deep breath and looked over the snooty "concierge", watching as he turned his nose at her, gathered the lapel of his jacket together as if he were over exposed, and huffed off to the kitchen. She sighed, looking over to the door to see her beautiful young daughter standing there, watching on in amusement.

"Spawn!"

"Satan!" They shouted at each other before embracing one another warmly and walking into the small dining room.

"How are you?" Her mother asked, giving her daughter the "up and down".

"I'm fine mom. Are you checking me out?"

"Yes, you look different…more like me or something," she brushed it off throwing herself into a nearby chair.

"Must be all the hair," she replied, throwing a hand into the air to wave her mother off.

"Yes. Definitely. Big hair equals Lorelai Gilmore." She smiled fondly at her daughter watching her carefully.

"Smells like lavender in here," Rory noted, sniffing the air in great swoops.

"Stop doing that you look like Sherlock Holmes's dog…and you are much to pretty to be a dog…so kid, what's up? Why the sudden visit? Though, I love having a clone of me wandering around. People really ask 'Is she actually your daughter or did you go to some crazy scientist and get cloned. Are you the first human Dolly?' It's insane!" Lorelai rambled, watching Rory curiously, before smiling up at Sookie who had come to bring them coffee.

"Sookie," Rory cooed, standing up to give the woman a tight squeeze.

"Hey there kiddo…Michel came in grunting about lavender and your arrival, so I thought coffee would be a good idea," she smiled warmly and stood awkwardly for a moment.

"You are huge!" Rory exclaimed, "And I mean that in the nicest possible way," she added, touching the woman's belly.

"Yeah, babies will do that to you…take up space, make you expand to double your size," she wrung her fingers together and put a small smile on her face. "Well, I better get back to the kitchen, who knows what they will try and put in my salad while I'm not there. Last week, I caught Mary putting beets into my Caesar salad. I could have killed her…How about some cake?" Sookie turned and wobbled back into the kitchen.

"She's particularly pregnant today," Rory commented with a huge grin.

"She always is…that woman is a baby oven. I swear she could start a business, 'Sookie's Babies', or something equally as creative," Lorelai looked over at her daughter, noticing the slight frown hiding in her eyes. "Kid, seriously, what's wrong…There is definitely something wrong, you haven't even touched your coffee…You're not pregnant are you? Oh geeze, my baby is pregnant!" She sighed dramatically and allowed a devious smirk to grace her lips.

"No I'm not pregnant," Rory sighed, "if only that were the case…It's just…things with Steven aren't exactly, well 'hunky dory" She winced at this statement, realizing the truth in her own words.

Lorelai stared at her daughter in confusion. "This morning you told me things were great. What's wrong?"

"We broke up." She stated plainly before looking up at her mother, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Broke up? No…that's terrible. What happened? You guys seemed so good for each other. He made you laugh, you made him cry, I mean it was a very balanced relationship," she replied, trying in her own way to lighten the mood.

"Well he just doesn't love me anymore," she said truthfully.

"Oh. Is that how he said it? What an ass! I mean, he goes up to you and is all 'Yo Ror, I don't love you anymore and stuff.' What a guy! Is that what he did?"

"No, ugh" she was starting to become frustrated and it was all she could do not to come right out and say it.

"Then what? I don't understand. How does someone just break up with you for no real reason? You are smart and beautiful and funny and charming…and basically mini-me, so how could he not love you!" she said exasperatedly. She really was not grasping onto what her daughter was saying.

"Fine, he's gay. G-A-Y. Gay. In fact, I found him in our bed with his parents pool boy last week," she paled visibly at this statement and stared down into the thick, dark liquid she held in her hands.

Lorelai tried not to let the shock creep up her face, but it was too difficult not to. "Gay! He's gay?!"

"Apparently…Him and… Billy are seeing each other now… They came to pick up his stuff, that's why I left the apartment, I needed to be as far away from him and Landon as possible." She cringed as she let Landon's name slip from her lips. She hadn't meant to expose that tiny detail to her mother, but now it was fair game.

"Landon, what do you mean you wanted to stay away from Landon-" she asked, but was cut off with the arrival of cake and pastries from Sookie.

"Here are some desserts ladies," she looked between the mother and daughter and realized she needed to excuse herself immediately. "What's that Michel, your finger is caught in the blender? Crazy Frenchman!" She laughed at her faux statement before scurrying off again towards the kitchen.

"Actually, I don't really want to talk about it…All I can tell you is that vodka and a bathtub were involved…" she shook her head in confusion before talking a heavy gulp of coffee.

"Kinky!"

"Mother!" she whispered, looking around to make sure Miss Patty and Babette were no where in ear shot.

"Well, I'm imaginative! What did you expect? You may want to give some sort of detail before my mind wanders too much," she offered, downing the remains of her coffee.

"This is utterly humiliating," she shook her head, but decided to dish out the details, leaving out the descriptions as to not gross out her mother, and finished with a dramatic sigh. "The weird thing though, is that it felt kind of normal, like not awkward really. I wasn't mad or upset, I was just confused at hell because he looked so nervous." She bit her lip trying to hide the smile as she thought of his naked chest, the near perfection of his abs and the beautiful biceps-the byproducts of being a swimmer.

"Well maybe you like him! I saw you guys as kids… His mother and I practically bathed you two together…I think it's meant to be," she smiled again…A whole lot of smiling going on for such a weird gathering, but nonetheless she smiled knowingly. She knew that her daughter, deep down, whether she realized it or not, had feelings for one Landon Deaker.

"But mom, I can't like him… That would be unnatural…We've known each other since we were kids…and I mean…he's like my brother…" she realized quickly what she had said and corrected it, "but not, because I would have committed incest.. EWW!" she winced before banging her head on the table repeatedly.

Lorelai laughed, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to put myself in a coma so I can forget this entire mess!" she answered continuing the head against the table thing.

"You know what I think? I think that your glad that Steven is gay, because now you are free to be with Landon, and he is free to be with you… I mean that boy has had a crush on you since God knows when and--"

Rory raised her head and glared at her mother, "What do you mean he's 'had a crush on me since God knows when'?"

"He has! Have you ever seen the way that boy looks at you? And don't even deny it, he looks at you like you are the only girl on the entire planet."

Come to think of it, Rory had never really noticed the way he looked at her because she was sure that it was merely a friendship sort of thing. After all, she looked at him the same way because he was her oldest and dearest friend. Although, she couldn't really remember any of his girlfriends in high school…or any of his relationships at Yale… Had he had any? Surely he was not a virgin…not by what had happened last night… or rather what she remembered of last night.

"Earth to Rory!" her mother called.

"Hmm? Sorry. I've got to be some place," she said and took off towards the door.

"Be safe! Don't be a fool, wrap his tool!" Lorelai called childishly and laughed to herself as she sipped Rory's left over coffee.

--

Landon had spent the afternoon in utter torment. He wallowed away in a coffee shop for two hours before meandering to the bookstore for another two. The walk back to his apartment, just a few blocks from Rory's, had felt like the walk of shame back in his first year of college when he'd left Rebecca Jorday's room after a night of timid love-making. He'd tried to like her as much as she did him, but he never really could allow himself. Regardless, this day felt just like that, heavy eyes judging him as he walked from her apartment to his own and even in the empty elevator, he felt a heaviness he hadn't felt in so long. It took him a moment to open the door to his apartment, wanting to just die right on the spot from shame.

He hadn't meant to let it go that far last night. He hadn't meant to be seduced by her warm lips and sensuous smile. Surely she just thought of him as "feel better sex", but then again she wasn't like that. Things had been rather awkward that morning though, making him feel like he was just a pawn in an overdue chess match.

Feeling the need to shower, he took heavy steps towards the washroom and turned the water onto scalding hot. As he washed away the night before, he remembered the burning sensation of her hands grazing his chest and his arms. Her fingers were like fire, erupting sensations he hadn't known in quite some time. Just then, he heard the door to the bathroom squeak open and the sound of fabric ruffling. He sighed again, turning the shower to an even hotter temperature.

"Baby is that you?" a feathery voice called.

"Yeah, I'm almost done," he called back gruffly, letting the water pierce his back and turn his skin a bright red.

"No need to rush, I just might join you," the voice answered back. Before the speaker could do as she pleased, he shut off the water and grabbed a towel from the nearest rack. Covering himself from the hips down, he left the shower to be assaulted with the vision of a leggy red head wearing nothing but a thin white wife beater and a pair of his boxer briefs.

"Oh you're no fun," she pouted, stepping towards him to drag her delicate fingers across his wet body. She placed an open mouthed kiss on his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled down at her and held her by her hips. She had startling green eyes that danced in the light, with a face covered in freckles that sprinkled across her cheeks and nose. She was a beauty in her own right, with the softest lips he had ever tasted…that is until yesterday.

"Sorry Delilah, I'm just a little tired," he answered truthfully. Well one does tire themselves out when they 'workout' so vigorously.

"Where were you last night? The bed felt so empty without you," she pouted again. Damn he could just kiss that pout right off of her…but he couldn't. Not right now at least. He pushed away from her suddenly and walked towards his bedroom before answering.

"I was at Rory's last night. I slept on her couch. You know the whole Steven thing just had her really upset and all," he went on, pulling on a fresh pair of dark jeans and towel drying his hair into a perfectly messy 'do.

"Oh that's awful sweet of you to stay the night baby," she cooed appreciatively. "Have you told Rory about us yet? I mean, she knows me as your roommate, but does she know about us as an… 'us'?." Another pout followed and he walked over to kiss her roughly. She smiled into him, biting his bottom lip and sucking it gently. Rory's face flashed up before his eyes, he remembered her luscious lips, the playful sucking and teasing she had done the night before. He shook off Daphne once again and startled she frowned up at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing Delilah, just tired, remember?" he said again, going back to his closet.

Before he could go all the way back, she grabbed a hold of his bicep and looked up at him coyly. "Then let's take an afternoon nap?" she offered suggestively, drawing tantalizing circles across his arms. He turned back to her, pulling her roughly against him and let his arms fall down her curvy sides. She was curvier than Rory, but taller with legs that really went on for miles. He cursed himself mentally trying to get her out of his head. He looked down at his girlfriend who stared up at him curiously. Sighing he kissed her lips gently before releasing her and heading out of the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" she called, following him out of the room.

"I have to go. I'll be back in a bit, I promise. We can order in tonight, it will be great," he grabbed his coat and found his keys on the table. He walked over to his girlfriend, kissing her forehead softly and then left the apartment. He needed to talk to Rory and soon.

--

Lovestoned erupted from her purse as she walked quickly towards her apartment, as to ensure no more run ins with her ex-boyfriend and his pool boy lover. She had waited patiently outside of her building after her doorman told her that the boys hadn't been down yet. After watching them leave hand in hand (she mentally gagged herself) she all but ran in and locked herself inside. Making a mental note to change her ring tone, she did love JT but this was getting excessive, she answered her phone, too flustered to check the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rory, it's me…Landon"

She tingled at the mention of his name, noticing the effect his voice had on her. Her entire body was shaking, but in a good way. How was that possible?

"Oh hey," she replied, mentally kicking herself to avoid any awkwardness.

"I think we need to talk…" he said, and there it was, the pink elephant appeared in the room.

"Oh, okay?"

"Are you at home, because I'm outside your door right now," he said, touching the dark wooden panel.

"Umm, I am. I'll be right there," she said, hanging up the phone and opening the door to notice Landon in fresh clothes and damp hair.

"Hi there," he smiled at her, a toothy smile that made her insides jump unexpectedly. What was wrong with her today? Maybe her mother was right after all.

"Hi," she added her own weak smile before moving out of the way to let him in.

He strode past her to sit at the kitchen counter, folding his hands in place, staring forward. "I just wanted to talk to you about last night…I mean I know you didn't really mean to sleep with me, so I just wanted to make sure that things wouldn't be awkward between us. I mean, it's fine we just made a mistake and I just don't want to lose you as a friend because of it," he rambled, hoping she would disagree.

"A mistake…yes, just a drunken accident," she forced a laugh, and noticed the way her heart started beating faster and the way she felt like it dropped to the pit of her stomach.

"Ugh, thank God! I was really worried that you hated me or something," he said, smiling, looking way more relieved than he was actually feeling.

"Of course, I mean, I just broke up with Steven, how could we just get involved like that?" she put on another forced smile and watched him carefully. Was there any truth in those eyes of his?

"Right. Besides, we have bee friends for years, and nothing petty like this should have come between us. But there is something I need to tell you," he began looking at her carefully.

"What is it?" she asked, thinking the worst like he had and STD or that he was dying…okay so two extremes but the whole 'I need to tell you something' isn't exactly a very precise statement. It could mean just about a billion different things.

Seeing the look of worry cross her face he spoke gently, "Oh it's nothing major Ror, I just wanted to tell you that I'm kind of seeing someone." He noticed her hesitate for a moment before smiling in a way that appeared sincere but was nothing of the sort.

"Really?! That's great Landon. Good for you. She must be something special…why haven't you mentioned her before?" she asked, a little perturbed.

"I know, I'm a terrible human being. This just sort of happened though and I've been trying to tell you for weeks but it just never came up," he answered still watching her.

"Well, it's about time you had a girlfriend, being the stud you are," she joked, but meant those words a lot more than she knew.

"Thanks Ror, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but you know how these things are…"

"Yes, new and happy and too exciting to figure out. Yep I know, oh do I know. I know lots… Lots," she looked around, trying to cover her rambling. "As much as I would love to talk about this, I really need to be somewhere so," she replied, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Oh right, I'd better go anyway," he said looking at his watch. "Wow, it's already six, time flies…I guess." He backed towards the door, Rory following behind closely.

"Well, it was nice seeing you," she said, trying to edge the awkwardness out of her voice.

"Yes, you too. We should have coffee later this week," he said, stepping out into the hall. She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms with a smile.

"Yes, you can tell me all about this girl of yours," she plastered a fake smile on her lips before turning her attention to stare at the wall.

"Right, well bye Ror," he said, stepping into the now waiting elevator.

"Bye," she called and slammed the door as the elevator shut closed. She stormed to her bedroom as the anger filled her from the pit of her belly. The nerve of that boy to tell her he was seeing someone when they had just had sex the night before. And the poor girl he was seeing! She would hate to know that he'd slept with another girl…She stopped for a moment, desperate to remember who kissed whom first but it was lost on the vodka. Sighing heavily, she spun on her heel and threw herself onto the bed. She couldn't really blame him for having a girlfriend. He was, after all, quite the catch.

--

**I bet you didn't see that coming, eh kids?**

**Thanks for the reviews and story alerting. I appreciate it. Please continue to review, it's like a life force, it really keeps me going. Like Rory and her coffee…What would the Gilmore's be without coffee? What would a writer be without reviews? Please do try…**

**More to come, what did you all think?**

**Also, I have another chapter already written and another started, so maybe if you would be so kind as to review I could post those others knowing that people actually read them. I really like my ideas for this story and I think you all will too… So please please please review and show me the love ******

**-beautymarked.**


	4. Break Me Off a Piece of That Or Don't

**Chapter 4: Break Me Off a Piece of That…Or Don't**

A single finger traced slowly, excruciatingly so. Down the space between her breasts, zig zagging towards her belly button, before resting comfortable on her hip, tracing small, dizzying circles. She reached out, grazing her own fingers across a broad, sculpted chest, digging her nails playfully into his skin causing him to grasp her hips violently.

She was being kissed now, hot lips on her own. She felt like coals were burning against her skin, leaving their scars in the shapes of his heavy fingerprints along her torso. Her body ached for him to touch her again, caressing her tenderly and kissing her savagely. She loved the way he worked her body, soft hands, rough kisses and absolutely delightful bites. She twisted to the side, giving him access to her neck and she found it hard to control the moans escaping from her lips.

"Landon!" She breathed and then her eyes fluttered open and she was alone. Rory blinked in long exaggerations before recognizing her unmade bed, and crème coloured walls. She scanned the bed for another being, but she was isolated in a heap of pillows and blankets, twisted and tangled around her body. How unfortunate, she thought.

She dragged a heavy hand across her eyes, blinking away the sleep, and checked her clock. 8:34, she read and looked towards her blinds, realizing it was still evening. The same evening where she found out that Landon had a girl, someone he hadn't told her about.

That was so unlike him, keeping things from her. In all of their years of friendship, they spoke of everything. He was the first person she told about relationships and she always knew when he was sad or unhappy. But today when he told her about his girl, he seemed hesitant about it…almost like he didn't want her to be with him…She could tell he felt the need to be honest though, making sure she knew he had done something wrong. He had always been one to admit when he was in the wrong. But why now? Why did he have to be so noble when being wrong felt so…right? She sat up quickly, tossing her blankets and pillows in frustration before stomping into the kitchen to make something to eat.

She threw open the refrigerator door, and realized there was nothing in her house to eat. She would have to go out and grab something but she really didn't want to leave. Remembering her drawer of take out menus, she searched the pile to find her favourite Thai restaurant and ordered herself a feast that would last at least three days. She sat down contentedly on the couch and flicked on the television to waste away until her food would arrive.

--

A half eaten pizza sat untouched on the clear glass table in front of them. They were snuggled together comfortably, watching Love Actually and had their fingers carefully entwined together. She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, while his arm draped casually around her lithe body. He looked over at her, watching a smile dance on her lips as she chuckled at Hugh Grant. He loved her laugh, he couldn't help it. She was so beautiful when she laughed. Her nose scrunched up causing her freckles to tighten into pretty little piles and her eyes shone and sparkled. He sighed happily beside her and she snuggled even closer into his body.

After the movie finished, she stretched languidly, rising her arms above her head, allowing a yawn to escape from those lips that Landon loved so much. He watched her, noticing the paleness of her skin as her shirt rode away from her jeans. She noticed this and smiled up at him, loving the way he always watched her so intently. She giggled then raised her hand to brush playfully through his hair. He pulled her onto his lap and she sat sideways, holding his face between her hands. Her eyes fluttered, leaving a heavy lust in their wake. He bent to kiss her, first softly, before pulling away and smiling back at her.

"I like you," he said simply, gripping her hips as she adjusted herself to straddle his hips, her knees digging into the back of the smooth leather couch.

She giggled again. "I like you too."

"You're pretty," he said with a childish grin.

"And you are sexy," she said, biting his lip sharply, trailing with a baby soft kiss.

"You taste like," he licked her bottom lip before kissing her soundly and pulled away. Putting a thoughtful finger on his chin he continued, "like pepperoni and cherries."

She smiled at him licking her lips as if she were about to devour him. "You are way too good of a kisser," she added playfully leaving a train of kisses on his forehead and down to the tip of his nose. He loved the softness of her lips and the way she teased him, kissing him everywhere else but where he wanted her to.

"Can I ask you a question?" she pulled away from him, concern crossing her forehead. He laughed before continuing on with his question, "Did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?"

"When you fell from heaven?" he laughed then earning a playful smack across the shoulder and bright chuckle from her.

"You are so lame," she said, slouching on top of him.

"You love it."

"And that's why I am also lame."

"We're perfect. We can be Mr. and Mrs. Lame. If we got married at had kids they'd be Lame Juniors!"

"You are ridiculous," she laughed and broke into a fit of giggles.

He stared at her again, wondering what had been the turning point for the two of them. They had lived together for about a year before one random night, she'd met him in the kitchen and pulled him into a lingering kiss. She told him she'd wanted to do that for quite some time and he obliged her by kissing her fervently. They'd made out all night, and the next day they just sort of realized that they should try being more than just friends. Of course the whole living together thing was kind of weird. Walking her to her door was easy, and she often ended up in his bedroom anyways, so it wasn't exactly like they had their own space. But he didn't mind because they got along fabulously and he enjoyed her presence quite a bit.

She kissed him then, and left lingering, open mouthed kisses along his jaw. This drove him crazy, causing him to grip her hips even tighter. She ground her body against his and looked him straight in the eyes, a devious smirk crossing her face. He leaned forward, pulling her bottom lip with his teeth so that she was forced to collide her lips with his, but he kept her at enough of a distance to suck on the no tender lip between his own. She smiled into his kiss, slipping a skillful tongue between his lips and worked her way around his mouth tantalizingly slow earning a violent moan and a squeeze on her hip.

She continued to rub her body against his, allowing him to take over the kiss, as she worked to get a reaction out of him. He moved his hands up her body, pulling her shirt up in the process to expose her creamy, smooth skin. She leaned back as he pooled the thin material over her head, leaving her in a lacy pink bra and an eager grin on her face.

"This new?" he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"Maybe," she said as he traced his hands up her sides, ending shivers down throughout her. He grazed the lacy material, earning another smirk from her, and took one of the straps in his teeth, tugging it to slide down her shoulder.

He grinned slyly, before running his tongue over her naked shoulder and placing hot kisses up the side of her neck. She moaned, pleased by this and tilted her head to the side, her red hair falling into her face. He moved his hands to hold her at her ribs, his large hands spread our leaving burning finger prints on her skin. She pulled away suddenly, and he was reminded of Rory the night before. But instead Delilah had just shifted backwards laughing. "Looks like we woke up little Landon," she said causing him to look down at the reaction she'd caused him. He pulled her back to him, with her still giggling, before capturing her in a deep kiss.

She moved her hand down his chest, down his abdomen and even further down to unbuckle his belt. He felt her pull the offending piece of metal and leather from him and this made him smile against her. She really didn't like belts, he thought, as he heard the article hit the hardwood floor a few feet away. She looked up at him then, almost shyly as she tugged at the hem of his t-shirt.

"This is in the way," she said, barely audible. He allowed her to tug it over his head. "So are these," she looked down at his jeans and he laughed. He flipped her suddenly so that they were both lying down, him on top of her. She helped him pull them off of him, leaving him in a pair of black and grey boxer briefs. He looked down at her, laying with her red hair fanned out against the couch. She looked almost innocent and untouched, but he knew that was far from the truth.

He looked deeply into her shining green eyes, wondering how he could have slept with another girl when he could have this beautiful creature every night. But then he remembered the warmth of Rory's body and her normally shy demeanor being tossed right out the window leaving in its wake an aggressively sexy woman. He had to shake the thoughts from his head as he looked down to his girlfriend. Right, she was his girlfriend and Rory was not. He really needed to get rid of these images of her, but he felt like they were burnt into his eyelids. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her slender, naked form.

Delilah looked up at Landon curiously as his face turned quickly from aroused to just plain old confused. She frowned inwardly, afraid that something was up. He saw her then, the frown creasing her brow, and crashed his lips to hers, knowing that right now was no time to be thinking about…Her.

He rested his arms on either side of her head, allowing his body to weigh heavily on top of hers. He listened to her out of breath kisses and lifted himself to flip them so that she was on top. She was still wearing her jeans, so she stood up, her feet straddling him at the waist and unbuttoned them slowly, pulling them down her hips in a way that made him want to reach out and tug her, but she wouldn't allow him. She shimmied out of the material eventually, kicking them across the room and exposing a matching pair of lace panties. He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming at her to come to him quickly as she slowly lowered herself to straddle his hips. She rested her palms against his chest before grazing his lips with her own and allowing him to take control. And that he did.

--

Rory was half way through her second box of takeout when she heard a knock at the door. Confused at who could possibly be calling on her at 10:00, she ran towards the door and checked the eyepiece. She noticed a blonde male standing outside her door holding a big brown bag. Frowning she opened the door to reveal said male with shining brown eyes and Cheshire grin.

"May I help you?" she asked, scanning him up and down for any hints of him being psycho maniac murderer. After looking several times, she was pleased to find that no such qualities arose from just his physical being, so she tapped the doorframe impatiently as she waited for him to speak.

"I'm the delivery guy for Wuan's Chinese Food," he said, rocking on his heels. He also looked as confused as she did.

"Sorry, I didn't order from Wuan's…I never do actually," she pulled at her pony tail then, realizing how cute this delivery boy was. He was much taller than her, and wore a comfortable brown cord jacket that made him look casual but not sloppy. The jacket was open exposing a black, unknown band t-shirt, and she also noticed the bar that pierced his eyebrow and the hoop through the left side of his lip. She smiled at him coyly now as his face turned embarrassed from this mistake.

"I take it a Daniel Jenkins doesn't live with you?" he said, his face turning red.

"He lives right down the hall actually," she said leaning out of the door to point to three doors down to the right.

"Oh, I see now, this is definitely a 3 and not an 8," he said, looking back at his delivery sheet. "I'm really sorry miss, they write these addresses down so quickly sometimes you can't tell 3's from 8's… apparently." He gave her a sheepish smile and she gave him an amused one right back.

"It's fine, it's nice to have cute guys knock on your door once and a while, even if for the wrong reasons," she said, smiling at her own bold tongue.

"Well cute girls like you should be getting knocks all the time," he said shifting the bag of take out from one hand to the other.

She blushed at this and held out a steady hand, "I'm Rory."

He shifted the bag again and shook her hand. "Jack…Jack, Waun's delivery boy," he chuckled and she watched his lip ring shake. He noticed this and laughed at her open staring.

"Sorry," she blushed, "I just never really understood lip rings. Doesn't it get in the way?" she asked, still examining. She didn't even realize she'd taken a step towards him.

"Not really. I've had it for a while now, so I'm used to it…Wanna touch it?" he smirked at her and she nodded. He laughed as she touched her finger to his lip, feeling the cold metal and wondering what it would be like to kiss someone with a lip ring.

"Kissing with a lip ring is hot," he said, and she realized she had said her thoughts aloud. She blushed a deep crimson and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. He laughed again, "Hey, it's alright. If a cute girl like you wants to kiss me, I take that as a complement."

She blushed even deeper and nodded her head. "Well it was nice meeting you…Daniel gets kinda cranky when he doesn't eat so you might want to deliver that food," she rambled, backing away slowly.

"Thanks for the tip. Nice meeting you Rory," he said and walked backwards towards the actual delivery address.

"Bye Jack." She shut the door and leaned against it heavily. Idiot. She tried to shake away the goofy smile on her lips but she couldn't as she wondered what that cold metal would taste like against her own mouth. One day, maybe she'd be bold enough to kiss a boy like that. Heck, maybe even that boy.

--

Landon was just stepping into the bedroom when he heard a shriek across the hall. Running over to Delilah's bedroom clad in just his boxers, he saw her standing on her desk chair, wearing the same wife beater and boxers from earlier that day when he'd come home. He looked down as she pointed, horrified, at her feet towards a big dead spider. He cringed as one of its legs kicked as its last bits of energies depleated.

"Did you step on it?" he asked, noticing it looked like it had been squashed.

"Well, I kind of just hit it with my shoe and then got back up here because it was grossing me out," she cried, beginning to calm down ever so slightly. She jumped from her chair to bed as he grabbed a newspaper and picked up the spider, tossing it down the toilet in the bathroom. Only after hearing the flushing sound did she leave her bedroom. "My hero!" she sighed dramatically, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"Not really. You killed it," he stated plainly, picking her up, so that her feet dangled off the ground. She wrapped her hands around his neck before wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You're still my hero and I must reward you," she said, raising her eyebrow swiftly. "You can take whatever you want," she said suggestively.

"Really. Anything I want?" he said, walking backwards towards his bedroom.

"Anything," she sighed happily.

His lips upturned in a devilish grin and he threw her on the bed. "Then I want to….tickle you!" he jumped onto the bed and ticked her sides as she laughed and scrunched her body away from his probing fingers. He pulled faces as she screamed and hollered, pinching her sides when she squirmed even more. After a good five minutes and a swearing that if he didn't stop she'd pee her pants, well his pants, he let go of her and plopped himself beside her.

"You ass," she said turning onto her stomach and trying to catch her breath.

"You said anything," he replied casually, noticing she was looking at him. "What?"

"Nothing," she looked shyly into her hands, finding interest in her short fingernails.

"I'll tickle you again if you don't tell me," he warned reaching out to grab her but she jumped away from him to the top of the bed. She looked like a little girl then, playfully hiding beneath her red curls.

She bowed her head and looked at him over her knees. "What's wrong," he asked again, this time completely serious. He moved up to wrap and assuring arm around her shoulders, allowing her to tuck her head in the crook of him arm.

"It's just," she began, taking a deep breath, "I'm not used to this…"

"This?" he asked, confused by what she meant.

"Being happy." She said, and fell to rest her head in his lap. He ran his fingers calmly through her curls, untangling the knots that had been put there after the nights activity on the couch.

"Oh," he said knowingly, remembering her stories of being neglected as a child and how her last boyfriend had never told her one nice thing about herself, but only complained and tried to make her change. It was a miracle that she had a self esteem after all of that.

"Just…thank you for making me happy," she said kissing, grabbing his hand and kissing it gently. He took her small, freckled hands and kissed each finger delicately.

"Your freckles…they are so sexy," he said as he kissed her thumb. "Your red hair makes me hot before you even touch me," he mumbled, sucking on the tips of her hands. "The way you laugh makes me happier than I've been in a long time," he added kissing the length of her arm, all the way to her elbow. "And I've never liked anyone as much as I like you," he whispered, leaving a wet kiss on her mouth.

She smiled up at him and sat up to look into his eyes questioningly, "Are you trying to get laid?"

He laughed at her absurdity before answering, "No, I'm just telling you how hot you are." He winked mischievously and she kissed him square on the mouth. He looked down at her, "None of that, I do have to go to work tomorrow."

"I just wanna make out," she said pouting and that just about did for him. He kissed her roughly, pulling her down into the sheets with him in an eruption of giggles and tangled limbs. Geeze, who knew all you needed to do was pout to get a hot guy to make out with you?

--

**Hope you all liked the updates. Again, thanks for your wonderful reviews, they are ever so helpful. Feel free to state your opinions as often as you like. In fact I encourage that!**

**-beautymarked. **


	5. Cheating is for Wieners and Schnitzel

**Suggested Soundtrack: Sleep—Azure Ray; You--Switchfoot**

**Chapter 5: Cheating is for Wieners…And Schnitzel**

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Rory looked over at her traitorous alarm clock and hit her fist firmly over the snooze button after seeing the offending time of 8:05. She had hit it three times already. Why did professors have to torture their students with 8:30 classes, she wondered before snuggling deeper into the warmth of her bed. Sighing contentedly she drifted off into another lazy sleep. Seems like she's been doing a lot of sleeping these days.

Another buzzing sound erupted on her side table and it took her a moment to realize it was the vibration of her cell phone. Cursing the blasted machine she reached over and flicked it over from the cocoon of her blankets.

"'ello," her muffled voice whispered, the sound of annoyance thickly drawn out.

"Is this Rory of apartment 648B?" a strikingly familiar voice cooed.

"Yes," she snapped sitting up suddenly, "Who is this?"

"Is this the same Rory who does not order from Wuan's Chinese Food?"

"Yes that would be me…what do you want?"

"This is Jack. Waun's delivery boy…the one with the lip ring," she wracked her brain for a moment before piecing together the raspy voice from the weekend. It had been over a week since she'd heard that voice.

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked, this being her first concern instead of the fact that some strange boy with a lip ring, albeit a cute boy, had gotten her number.

"Yes it is…8:13 in the morning," he replied sounding pleased.

"Great, I'm glad you can tell time, but could you also tell me why I got this splendid wake up call?" the sarcasm dripped from her voice and she could just imagine the way he winced at the sound of it. Oh yes, it had that effect on people.

"Well, I was calling to ask you out for coffee of course," he said, like it was the most logical explanation.

She thought for a moment and realized that there was no way she was going to go to class at this point. Sighing she looked down at herself, noting that her tank top was twisted in the funniest way and that her hair was pulled wildly on top of her head in a messy bun. She looked an absolute mess, but coffee sounded wonderful. "You definitely know the way to my heart," she giggled and covered her mouth to suppress the sounds of a teeny-bopper with a crush.

"Really? I am psychic you know," he said casually, causing a big grin to cover her face.

"You sound like my mother."

"Ouch! I'm being compared to the mother. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Really depends…but you did mention coffee so I'm going to go with good thing."

She could hear his sigh reverberate through the receiver. She also heard the ding of an elevator in the background. Frowning she turned towards her door as she heard a patterned knock ring out.

"Where are you?" she asked, walking to her door.

She pulled the door open to reveal the smiling delivery boy holding a foreign coffee cup out to her. "I'm right in front of you," he said into his phone, eyes smiling as he took in her horrified expression. He closed his phone and waited patiently for her to let him in, noticing her coffee cup covered pajama shorts. "Nice pj's," he said, leaning his frame against the door.

Still stupefied by his arrival, she clutched at her phone, unsure of what to do. "Umm," she said, shutting her mouth so that nothing unintelligent would follow.

"Are you going to gape at me or invite me in?" he said smugly, not trying to be rude. She shook her head and stepped out of the way to allow him in. He smiled at her before turning around in circles to take in her studio/loft style apartment. "Nice digs."

"Uhh, thanks," she said closing the door and finally realizing her state of undress. "I'll be right back," she added, hurrying to her room to put something a little less revealing on. She decided on a baggy school sweater and some sweatpants and pulled her hair down from its perch atop her head.

She took a deep breath and left the seclusion of her bedroom. She noticed him sitting comfortably on her couch like he'd been there many times before. "How did you get my cell phone number?" she asked, this being the most burning question on her mind.

"Well if I told you that I'd have to kill you," he looked her over seriously before breaking into a childish grin. She noted how cute he looked when he smiled. "Nah, really it wasn't hard. I just asked your neighbour when I came to deliver some food yesterday."

Damn that neighbour, she thought, before taking a seat on the other end of the couch.

"I don't bite," he laughed and she looked up at him sheepishly.

"Sorry, I just…don't know you," she said feeling awkward with this strange man sitting on her couch, in her apartment at 8:30 in the morning.

"You wound me!" he cried dramatically. Geeze, this boy had a thing for dramatics. "Come out for breakfast with me and I will tell you all you want to know." He smiled at her invitingly, resting his elbows on the back of the couch.

"Breakfast." She repeated dumbly.

He nodded his head excitedly. "Yes it's the most recommended meal of the day you know? Gives you some energy!"

She took a sip of the coffee he had brought her and was shocked at how good it was. "Mmm, where did you find this divine liquid?" she moaned.

"God, if coffee does that to you, I wonder about their lattes. They are pure heaven," he looked over at her small form, leaning into her as if it were the greatest secret he would ever tell. She leaned in as well and nearly shivered as his lips reached her ear, "It's from Café Au Late. They make everything so quickly for people on the run, and are also usually the cause of why people are so late. It's a well known secret around these parts."

"I am a coffee connoisseur and I have never heard of that place," she said leaning back away from him.

"Well you are not a really connoisseur than are you?"

"Hmph, I beg to differ," she stuck her nose up in the air away from him, appalled by his statement.

"Well, you will just have to prove me wrong by going out for coffee with me…" he said it so casually that you'd think they had been friends for years instead of, oh, fifteen minutes.

"I could definitely show you a thing or too," she replied, ignoring the double meaning behind her words.

"I bet you could," he smirked before continuing, "but you know I have a thing or two up my own sleeve."

"Oh is that right?"

"Oh yes. For example, I can make girls fall in love with me…Wanna know how?"

She laughed at his audacity, "Absolutely."

"Well, it takes awhile, but I will show you," he said matter of factly.

"And how will you do that?"

"By making you fall in love with me."

Silence. She couldn't help but laugh at him. Big swells tore through her body and she nearly spilt her coffee all over herself as she was doubled over. This guy was too much for her to handle. He sat seriously, looking over at her with a smirk.

"You're laughing now, but I swear it'll happen," he told her, unaffected by her laughter.

"Hmm, okay Casanova," she rolled her eyes and took another sip of the heavenly liquid. At least he had good taste in coffee.

"I told you my name is Jack," he smirked at her and she started to giggle foolishly. She couldn't help but laugh at him.

"You are too much! Besides, I am never going to be in love again," she turned serious now, playing with the lip of her cup, and frowning deeply. She was reminded of the way it still stung when she thought of Steven.

"Again? That sounds like a girl who's known the pain of heartbreak," he noted wisely.

"You could say that."

"Don't want to talk about it"

"Not really." Truth be told, she wanted to just talk about it for hours to anyone who would listen. She wanted to analyze it and order it to make some of sense of everything that had happened. She wanted to understand where she went wrong, what signs had been hovering over her for the past two years. She just didn't want to open up to this stranger about things he wouldn't understand.

"Well, I have been through my fair share of heartache, and I do know a thing or too." Was this guy a mind reader or something?

"Look, I think you're a nice guy and everything, but I'd rather not dish out my entire love life to a guy I just met a week ago, and for that matter a complete stranger."

He didn't push her any further but just nodded in understanding. "Not a problem. Hey, I understand where you are coming from. All I want you to know is you officially have someone who will listen to you whenever you like…I have a penchant for listening." He smiled at her infectiously, causing a grin to grace her pretty mouth.

She noticed his lip ring had been changed to a spike ended half ring that stood out sexily on his lip. He allowed her to stare for a moment before breaking her concentration with a laugh.

"You are the cutest when you scrunch up in concentration," he laughed again at her embarrassment.

"Uhh, thanks."

"Not a problem. So did you want to go eat breakfast or are you going to kick me out and crawl back into your bed to wallow?"

Offended she bit back, "I was not wallowing, I was merely enjoying my sleep. I wallowed last week. This week is catching up on the sleep I missed when I was crying my eyes out." She adjusted her sweater so that her hood was now covering her head. She thought for a moment. "How about coffee tomorrow. I will take you to my favourite place."

Realizing this was his open invitation into her life and friendship he smiled happily. "I'll definitely take you up on that. I'll come by at 10?"

"Perfect. But just as friends, I don't think I can handle falling in love with someone right now," she joked and he caught on easily.

"Well I'll town down my magic for a while, but be aware, I can only control it for short amounts of time."

She laughed this time and walked him to the door. "Alright magic man, I'll see you tomorrow. Try not to make too many girls fall in love with you before then."

"My trying won't guarantee anything," he winked at her and left for the elevator. She shut her door, another giant smile across her face. God this boy was random, but definitely of the good variety.

--

"Mmm Delilah that feels sooooo good," Landon moaned relaxing into his girlfriends ministrations.

She paused to answer, "Baby, you don't even know how good you're going to feel when I'm done." She went back to work, kneading and rubbing him attentively.

He moaned again as she squeezed the tension away from his body. God she was good at this.

"You have to be the best back massager I know!" he proclaimed as she worked on a particularly tight muscle in his back.

A giggle erupted from her lips. "Well I should be, I did study this in college," she said giving his muscles a final rub before jumping onto the bed beside him.

He turned on his side, leaning his head on his hand to look at her. "You are also the prettiest masseuse I've ever had. Way better than Olga," he said, tugging her petite form towards him. She giggled again as he kissed the tip of her nose.

Snuggling into him, she tangled her legs into his and put a gentle hand on his bare chest. He wrapped his free arm around her tiny waist and watched her eyes flutter closed. "Tired?" he asked, achieving a slow nod from her.

"Me too," he said, breathing deeply. He had been working really hard lately to get all of his studies in order. He had to take the LSAT's soon and was working his ass off to be prepared for them. He really didn't know why he was bothering to work so hard just to get into another school, which he would be stuck at for another three years or so. The constant pressure from his father to follow in his footsteps was enough to make any guy break and give in. It just wasn't what he wanted out of his life.

He closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep, but found himself wide awake despite his exhaustion. This really was getting him nowhere. He unwrapped himself from his girlfriend cautiously and left the bedroom to chill out in the living room. He thought a glass of read wine and soothing sounds of John Mayer's Continuum album would do just the trick to put him to sleep. He poured himself a rather large glass and flicked on his stereo, skipping the first song of the album that was just a little too upbeat for his tastes at the moment.

Taking a seat in a comfortable recliner he had purchased his second year at Yale, he sat back and allowed himself to drift away in the music. Music was the only way for him to get away from all of the expectations of people around him. Truth be told, he hadn't really relaxed since the night he had watched Love Actually with Delilah. He remembered where that had led to and couldn't stop the smirk that rested on his lips. This also caused him to remember the night before that with Rory. Damnit, he had pushed her from his thoughts until now because he had been so terribly busy, but now she was right there.

He still remembered the taste of her lips, the vodka mixed with strawberry lip balm, and the buttery softness of her skin beneath his desperate fingers. He had loved the way she pressed against him and took control. It was still foggy to him, but he could have sworn she had been the one to initiate the kissing… and the touching…and the sex for that matter. He had just followed along like an obedient little boy, trying to please her whims and take back some of the control she had assumed was rightfully her own.

He frowned thinking upon her again. He couldn't let it get in the way of his new relationship with Delilah. He couldn't let his mind wander to that one, random night when he had plenty more meaningful evenings with Delilah to dwell on. The strange thing though, was that it didn't feel meaningless. It felt purposeful and almost right…but he pushed that off to mean that she just really needed a rebound lay. Was she really that kind of girl? He shook his head allowing the wine to haze over his brain.

A creaking floor board alerted him and his eyes snapped up to see a sheepish half naked girl walking towards him.

"Babe, what are you still doing up? It's 3 a.m.," she looked him over carefully, her eyes squinting in the darkness of the room.

"I couldn't sleep."

She looked him over and saw the empty glass in his hands. She approached him slowly, taking the thin glass from his fingers and placed it on the nearest table before fitting herself snuggly into his lap. Her head fit comfortably under his chin, and he wrapped his arms around her, drawing circles on her exposed hip. She squirmed under him, her skin jumping at the contact. This just caused him to draw more and more circles, his fingers dancing underneath her shirt and up her back. She jerked around, delighted yet agitated at his motions. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips as he reached across her belly and dipped dangerously low.

"God, do you have any idea what you do to me?" she asked in a low, husky voice. He could sense her arousal and just continued to tease her skin, drawing his fingers up and down her waistline. She turned her body, to sit in his lap like a child, which allowed him to draw tiny circles up her inner thighs. Her head dipped back at the teasing, her squirming becoming almost unbearable as she rubbed her body against him. He could feel his own arousal now, but ignored it as he slipped his fingers across her body.

She could barely contain the hisses of ecstasy that broke from her as his hands tormented her skin. He wasn't even touching her sexually, but it drove her wild anyways. She was always surprised at how quickly she was turned on in his presence and by the smallest of his actions. She quivered as his hand reached up her shirt and drew tiny, affecting circles between her breasts. That was enough of that, she thought and pushed her eyes open to see a devilish smirk cross his face.

"Do you get off on teasing me?" she asked, biting her lip anxiously.

"Not as much as you do," he replied simply. It wasn't meant to be disrespectful, but stated as a simple fact. She loved the way he turned her on, she couldn't deny that, but she'd be damned if she couldn't do the same to him.

"I think it's my turn." She lifted herself from his lap and walked over to the coffee table, distancing herself so that he couldn't reach her. He went to stand to meet her, but she stepped forward and pushed him back in his seat, putting a silencing finger to his lips before he could object.

And so she stood in front of him, giving him the sexiest strip tease she could muster with the few clothes she had on. She played with the hem of her wife beater and edged it up slowly, turning around before pulling it off of herself, only making her back available to his eyes. She stepped back and sat on his lap, facing forward, and moved her body in slow circles against him. A guttural growl filled the room as his hands moved straight for her hips, and pressed her even tighter against him. She managed to squirm away and towards the coffee table. She looked back at him, his expression stunned as he sat there. She giggled and ran towards her bedroom, throwing her pajama shorts on the ground.

Finally realizing her game, he picked up her discarded clothing and followed the path into her bedroom. He laughed to himself as he picked up the bra she'd left at the entryway to her door. God this girl was kinky. And he liked it.

--

**So do we like the relationships here or hate them?**

**More Landon/Rory interaction to come… And don't worry, we will see more of Jack very soon. **

**Who do you like better pairing wise:**

**Rory/Landon**

**Rory/Jack**

**Or**

**Landon/Delilah**

**Please review and let me know. ******

**-beautymarked**


	6. A Little Less Conversation a Little More

_**A/N: This is the last chapter for a while… I have midterms and then reading week… And a ton of work to do over reading week, plus people to see…**_

_**Also… I really feel like I need more reviewing… I know its inconvenient, but a simple bit of criticism really helps, or even just a comment, or questions. I'm open to anything just so I know I have readers… Otherwise what's the point of posting right?**_

_**Anyways, please review and show me the love… And I'll work on a chapter possibly over reading week and have one out by the end of the month.. It really depends on you guys though.. But this chapter is a bit longer.. ENJOY… PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review. **_

**Chapter 6: A Little Less Conversation…A Little more Confrontation Please**

"Why does Professor Jackson hate me!?" Rory was frustrated. So frustrated she had called up Landon in an attempt to rekindle their friendship and vent about her current professor problems. They sat at a small table in the corner of a under the radar café a few blocks from his apartment.

"What'd he do now?" Landon was amused with Rory's hysterics. She pretty much hated her life at exam time, complaining non-stop about her professors.

"He gave me a C on my term paper and told me that I had over thought the entire concept and had failed to grasp what he was looking for." She took a deep hit of her coffee and mumbled to herself about stupid professors and how they could look up their asses for the answer.

Only years of friendship and experience allowed Landon to hear her mumbles and her burst out in a laugh that caused the patrons of the café to turn and look in their direction. He gave a small wave and turned back to Rory, her face red in embarrassment. This was the first day they had hung out since that one day he had forced out of his band after his better judgment won over. That had been about three weeks, just enough for them both to pretend like it never happened.

"How much time did you spend on that paper?"

"A lot," her eyes widened with expression to emphasize her point. She glared at him when he chuckled again, which just made him turn his expression solemn.

"Well clearly he just doesn't understand your brilliance." He knew at times like these that complimenting the girl was a far better tactic than disagreeing with her.

"Damn straight he did. So, enough about stupid Professor Asshole…tell me about your new girlfriend," she pryed. It had taken her awhile to get over her initial shock that he had slept with her and had a girlfriend at the same time, but she passed it off as a drunken mistake and hadn't let it bother her too much since. Besides that had been almost a month ago, and shouldn't be dwelled on or thought about anymore.

"Well you already know her actually," he said, smiling mostly to himself as he thought of the pretty girl who was most likely at home, curled up in a pair of his boxers and her favourite wife beater watching sappy romance movies. God she was cute.

"I do? Who is she?" Curiosity killed the cat, but Rory Gilmore couldn't help but NEED to know this new girl who had stolen her best friend from her.

"My roommate Delilah," he answered. A silence grew between them, Rory's eyes widening, then realizing this she put a smile on her lips. It wasn't that she didn't like the girl, but they just seemed like such an unlikely pair. It was weird enough that he lived with a girl as his roommate, but now they were dating!

"Delilah? Really? I didn't think she was your type."

He laughed at her statement. "And what is my type Miss Gilmore?" He was intrigued at what she thought.

"Well I just never knew you to be into mouth red-heads is all. I took you for the leggy blonde with big…brains kind of guy."

"Big brains? Delilah is very smart I will have you know…and very good with her hands," he chose to wear a devilish smirk just then.

Rory cringed visibly. "Too much info!"

"She's a masseuse, remember?"

"Oh yeah," she grinned coyly and took another sip of her coffee as an awkward silence filled the air. "So…"

"So what?"

"So…how did you guys get together?"

"I dunno, just kind of happened one night." He shrugged and drummed his fingers on the table, looking around the café. It was twilight and the sky was turning a cheerful pink and blue.

After a few more minutes of silence, Rory decided to pry a little deeper. "So do you really like her then?"

Landon's head snapped towards her, trying to gage her reaction, "I really do. She's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time," he said truthfully.

"Oh," she looked down into her nearly empty cup and drained it for something to focus her attention on. He stared at her, unsure if this made her upset or if she was just disinterested in his love life.

"So do you approve?"

She looked up at him, confusion behind her eyes. "Approve?"

"Yeah. It would be really hard for me to date someone you didn't approve of. I mean, I suppose I could do it, but it would feel like lying to my grandmother…just so wrong."

"You just compared me to your grandmother!" she accused with a laugh.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not."

"Did too did too did too!" She stuck out her tongue triumphantly as he threw his hands in the air in surrender.

"Well I just mean you mean as much to me as she does."

"Who your grandmother or Delilah?"

"Both."

"Good. I was going to say."

"Say what?"

"Nothing."

"You suck," he added childishly and ran a hand through his thick hair.

He watched her reaction as a grin spread across her pink lips. She was a beautiful girl and he was lucky to have her in his life.

"So I've met someone," she said, trying to act casual but the excitement was too much to contain.

His eyes clouded momentarily, looking almost as black as his coffee at the mention of a new man in her life. His voice was rough as he answered her, "Really?"

She blushed suddenly and rambled on to explain. "Well, he's just a friend, but he is the cutest thing. He's funny and makes me laugh even more than you do and every time I see him I get butterflies. We keep going out exploring coffee shops, actually this is one he suggested and it's as good as he said it would be."

He relaxed after her explanation that he was just a friend, but the tension took hold at her lit up eyes and the excitement running through the currents of her voice. She was happy with another guy already. He couldn't exactly be jealous now that he had Delilah, but he couldn't ignore the feelings that rose sickeningly in his stomach. Why was he having this reaction to her being excited in another guy? He should be happy that she was getting over her lame ex-boyfriend, not feel nauseous.

"What's his name?" he asked, realizing the coolness of his voice.

She winced but shook it off, taking it as him being a protective friend. "His name is Jack and he's a film student at Yale. His work is really brilliant. Maybe you can come by when he's over and I could show you sometime. He wants to be the next Tim Burton," she said as a matter of fact.

"Yeah, sure. I'd love to meet him," he said, his eyes burning holes into the coffee mug in front of him.

"You can bring Delilah," she added, feeling a pang in her chest just at the mention of the girl's name.

"Yeah, okay," he tried to smile for her, but it turned out more like a grimace.

Another awkward silence overtook them and Rory couldn't help but sigh. She never wanted it to be like this. This silence, this tense conversation when it came to talking of new friends and lovers. Why didn't he approve? Did he really have feelings for her after all? She couldn't tell, but she most certainly wanted to find out. The only way to do so, however, was to break out a whole new can of worms.

"Why did you sleep with me if you have a girlfriend?"

He did not expect that from her. He frowned, trying several times to say something to her but in truth he didn't know what to say.

"You kissed me," was all he could reply. There was nothing else for him to say.

"So my kissing you led you to sleeping with me?"

"You are the one who led me to the couch. You left the bathroom and went to the kitchen counter, and bit your lip all seductively. What did you want me to do? Walk out awkwardly? I was drunk, I don't know why I didn't stop, other than the fact that-" he cut himself off so he was unable to say anything he would later come to regret.

"The fact that?"

"Forget it. I'm sorry I slept with you and didn't tell you I had a girlfriend until after. I'm sorry you're irresitable when I'm drunk." He winced realizing what he had said and could practically feel the heat from her as rage boiled over.

"When you're drunk?! Only when you're drunk?! You son of a bitch. I thought we were friends, and then you had to go and sleep with me."

She was raging now and causing a scene. He didn't give a shit of what other people thought though and decided to yell right back.

"Hey Babe, it takes two people to have sex. It's not just my fault. Why did you kiss me in the first place?" He was starting to get pissed off at her blame games.

"I did not kiss you."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"YES YOU DID!"

"NO I DIDN'T!"

"You know what, it doesn't even matter. Who gives a shit? Are you seriously going to let one mistake get in the way of over fifteen years of friendship?"

She gulped. That was a low blow. Why did he have to keep saying it was a mistake?

"Maybe if you weren't such an asshole and answered my first question truthfully then we wouldn't be in this situation."

"I slept with you because I knew you needed me, and to be honest…I needed you too. I didn't stop it because I didn't want to." There. The honest truth. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

"Oh," was all she said, barely audible. She was unsure of what to say. He had just admitted that he'd wanted to be with her. Was this what she wanted to hear?

"Yeah. 'oh'. Look. I love you Rory, as my best friend. And sleeping with you was great, but obviously we shouldn't have done it, and I'm sorry I didn't stop it from happening. I don't want to lose you as my best friend because of something we did like a month ago."

She nodded her head along with his words, glad that he was saying them and not her. Did he really mean what he was saying?

He was in panic mode now, unsure of what else to say. He did love her as his best friend, maybe there was something else there, but now was not the time to explore it. Now was the time to just be in each other's lives for support.

"I don't want to lose you either," she said finally, and a wave of relief rippled through his body.

"Thank goodness. So where do we go from here?"

"Home?" she laughed at the simplicity.

"I think Stars Hollow would just make things worse."

She nodded in understanding. That town did have a way of making things just a little more complicated. Plus involving her mother again wouldn't be the brightest of ideas.

"How about a pact?"

"Like a blood brother's pact or the spit on the hand and shake kind of thing?"

"How about a verbal one?"

"Yeah, I don't want your stinking saliva all over my hand anyway," he turned his nose up at her like a five year old and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Right. Let's just make a pact that we will never be tempted to sleep with one another again. And if we find ourselves in that situation again, and God help us we don't, one of us has to stop it from happening."

She bit her lip as she watched him think it all over in his head. "And no mention of this pact or why this pact was created to anyone including Delilah and your 'friend' Jack."

She thought over this and stuck her pinky out to him. "Deal."

The linked pinkies, deciding it was the safest way to make their pact official and smiled at one another as childhood memories flashed to the surface.

Landon looked at his watch. "It's getting late, I better be getting back," he said, grabbing his coat from the back of the chair. They stood up, still feeling slightly awkward but very relieved at the new status of their friendship. Or rather the returned status of their friendship.

"Oh, I got my test scores back from the LSAT's."

Rory looked over at him, trying to remember when he had told her he was applying for law school. She guessed his father had something to do with it. "And?"

"Looks like I will be going to law school after all." He had managed to tie his scarf on in the process while she was still putting on her coat.

"Well congratulations." She stepped forward and gave him a hug. They lingered for a moment, both separating at light speed when they realized it had been just a little too comfortable in that position.

"Thanks."

"Well, I'm off. See you later Landon," she waved and left the coffee shop, and he did the same only walked in a different direction.

It was going to take a while, but things would be better. Or at least he hoped.

--

The sun was setting out smoothly when a familiar song erupted from Rory's purse evoking a smile to form across her lips. It had only been a few hours since she last spoke to him, but she still loved his eagerness to call.

"Pigs or Cows?" a voice rang out.

"What?"

"Pigs or cows? Choose."

"Cows. Obviously." She shook her head at the silly question and waited for him to continue.

"Cows it is. So where are you?" he asked, a bell and weird electronic noises muffled in the background.

"I'm just about to step into my apartment, why?"

"Let me guess. You are carrying a bag full of Thai food and you're wearing that long black coat with the toggles on it. Oh, you also have that cute white berret on that your mother bought you for your birthday last year."

She looked down at her apparel and the bag of Thai food in her head, a sort of chill running down her spine. How was he always able to freak her out so easily. She stopped in her tracks and looked around nervously to be met with the sound of his chuckling in her ear.

"Relax, I'm about a block behind you," he said, waving his arms at her frantically.

"Oh I see you. You really need to stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Being a creeper."

"Oh you love it."

"Not really, it makes me feel…icky," she said, brushing her hair back with the hand that held her cell phone.

"Are you waiting for me? Because I'm a slow walker," he said watching her lean comfortably against the wall of her building.

"Yes I am waiting now hurry up." She hung up her cell phone and dropped it into her bag.

It only took him a minute or so to catch up, her back facing him, he couldn't help but to scare her. Tip toeing the last few steps towards her, he reached out a skillful hand and took the Thai food from her grasp. She turned in protest, her fast twisted in a snarl, but it quickly faded when she recognized the playful guy in front of her.

"How old are you? Twelve?" she asked, snatching back the bag of food and huffing off into the apartment building.

"If I'm twelve that makes you…nine? Ugh, I could never kiss a nine year old," his face twisted in disgust as he followed behind her closely.

She turned then, his playful mood being contagious. "Who said anything about kissing?" she smirked as the smile was wiped from his face, and nearly missed getting out of the elevator when she did.

He hurried after her into the open apartment, following her like a little puppy as she walked into the kitchen and opened her take out bag.

"Mmmm curry!" she offered him a box of food and he took it graciously, and thumped down onto the couch.

"So, what adventures did you get up to today?" he asked, taking a piece of chicken into his mouth from his chopsticks.

She missed this. Having a friend to talk to on a regular basis. Where she could just hang out, and not worry about it being awkward. It used to be like this with Steven she thought. She winced, pushing him from her mind and finished the food in her mouth before answering. "I met up with Landon for coffee. We talked, got some things cleared up. It's still awkward."

She had told Jack all about the incident they now titled as the "vodka leads to sex" night. It was strange how easily she had trusted him. Enough to open up and really relate her most intimate moments. She even told him about the nasty break up with Steven. It was surprising what three weeks of friendship could open up in a person. It also helped that he was cute and an amazing listener. He never tried to give her advice, just made her laugh and forget her troubles.

He pulled a face that made her snort the curry up her nose, and choked on her laughter. "Jerk!"

Concerned, he grabbed her a bottle of water from the fridge and watched her carefully as she drank it back. Kneeling in front of her, he grabbed the sides of her face to inspect her nose more carefully.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, locking eyes with him. His face was serious now, eyes piercing into hers. He moved her hair carefully behind her ears and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. He pulled away, her face shell shocked and unmoving.

Awkwardly he stayed where he was, still holding the sides of her face. It took her another moment to register the fact that he had just kissed her. It had been quite some time since someone had kissed her so gently. Steven was always very rough and aggressive, as was Landon.

She watched Jack carefully, his eyes falling into hers, both wondering if this was okay, if this is what they wanted. Thinking was overrated though.

Rory moved her hands to cover his, and traced her fingers down to his elbows, resting her hands in the crooks. She closed her eyes and leaned her face into his hand, relishing in the warmth of it.

He still watched her. She bit her lip, her head was tilted. Her eyes were closed. He was up to the plate and he needed to take a swing. She opened her eyes again, noticing the questioning in his own and smiled softly. He was afraid, afraid of what this would mean for the both of them. But it was he who had kissed her. This time no vodka would cloud her judgment.

The silence was getting to her. She could feel how it grew in intensity and something needed to be done. She just couldn't sit here any longer and watch him watching her. Moving into action, she grabbed his face and pulled him towards her, pressing her lips firmly against his, feeling the cool metal of his lip ring. They stayed like that, lips joined securely, daring each other to make the next move. Rory was the first to give in, curiosity taking a hold of her as she swiped her lip against his lip ring. She could feel him smile against her before he pulled her tighter against him, causing her to fall forward and onto the floor. She gasped and he took this opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth, silently dueling with her for control. She moaned as his hands swept from her face and down to her hips.

He pulled away and stared up at her, leaning up on his elbows and looked over her shoulder, realizing her position on top of him, her legs straddling his waist. Heavy lidded eyes looked back at him, and he was surprised when she captured his lips with her own, her sucking gently on his lip ring. She tugged it gently with her teeth, bringing him to a better sitting position. His hands planted firmly on her hips, as he resisted the moans threatening to spill from his lips. She smiled when she took the cool metal between her teeth and noticed the way his body pulsed. He'd squeezed her harder, pulled her closer. She pulled away this time, breathing heavily, touching her forehead to his. He looked down at her lips, already swelling and looking delicious. He reached out and unzipped the hoodie she wore, pushing it off her shoulders and onto the ground in front of him. She was left in a revealing purple tank top, her chest heaving, begging to be touched.

He pulled his head away from hers, smirking as she bit her lip anxiously. Smiling, "Let me do that for you." And he reached for her face, pulling her closer, biting on her lip teasingly and earning a hearty moan. He sucked where he'd nipped her and trailed kisses down to the crook of her neck, biting and sucking as he went. She raked her fingers through his hair, tugging it as he sucked and nipped at the exposed skin of her breasts. Her head fell back, allowing her to lean into him as he worked his way down her cleavage.

She felt a vibration against her hip and heard him grown as he pulled away from her.

"What is it?" she asked, dazed a little from his touch.

"Cell phone." He reached into his pocket and cleared his throat before answering. "Hello?" Rory smiled at him mischievously and began to nip at his neck. His voice cracked when she reached a particularly sensitive spot. "No, Mr. Chang I can't come into w-work tonight."

She pulled away and watched his face for a moment, before kissing her way across his jaw. "Sir I have to go right now. Yes sir. Tomorrow. Bye." He hung up the phone giving her the 'you are so going to pay for that' look and attacked her lips and tickled her at the same time. She screamed in delight, falling backwards so that she was disentangled and underneath him.

"Yes sir. Tomorrow sir." She mocked, laughing even harder as he pinched at her sides. Waves of laughter rippled through her body and sent her wriggling backwards. She jerked so much that she even hit her head against the leg of the couch. She frowned, laughing and cursing at the same time. "Ouch."

Jack's smile dropped and his gaze turned concerned as he pulled her to a sitting position to inspect the damage. No bump was found, but it had still caused a pause. One that was filled with an awkward sort of silence as they both sat, staring in different directions. She pulled herself backwards and up onto the couch, leaning on the arm, deciding to stare at him instead of the ceiling. He chose to sit back from his crouch and look at his shoes.

"I should go." He said, pulling himself to a standing position. He looked for his coat and grabbed it from the chair in the corner and pulled it on, watching her carefully.

"Oh, okay then," she stood up as well to walk him to the door. The few steps across the living room felt long, especially with their silence. He looked at her, gave her a meek smile and closed her front door behind him. Both fell against it, neither knowing that the each other were on the opposite end. Both let out a sigh, Rory's followed with confusion, and Jack's followed with a smile.

He had kissed her. And she…she had kissed him back. But why was it so weird? Why did it feel so good, but so weird at the same time. He hadn't meant to kiss her, but he just saw those luscious pink lips and couldn't help himself. He was surprised that she even kissed him back. And oh, oh the way she played with his lip ring was just so … sexy. He pulled himself together and reached for the elevator button, but something inside him told him not to go. And so he knocked on her door, softly.

Rory stared at her door, confused as to who could be there now. Opening it she saw him. Staring at her with those big green eyes, he stepped forward, grabbed her face and pressed his lips to hers one more time. The initial shock wore off pretty quickly and she was kissing him back, smiling against his lips. He pulled away, his breath ragged and uneven.

"Now I have to go." He smiled, and turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm, wrapping the other around his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him fiercely. She pulled away, a small blush spreading across her cheeks.

She smiled shyly at him and he chuckled softly. She was still close to him, her arms wrapped around his body and his planted on her hips. He could have stayed like that forever, but he didn't want to do anything stupid. He didn't want to be just some rebound guy.

"You really don't have to go," she said, pressing herself against him tightly. She knew what he would say though, but she was damned if she would let him leave without a little bit of a fight.

He groaned as her lips met his cheek, then his jaw and he tensed as she nipped at his ear. "You're doing this on purpose," he moaned, gripping her hips and pushing her against the wall in the hallway.

She stopped for a moment to answer him. "Maybe," she breathed against his skin, kissing her way down his neck and spending an extra moment at the curve of his neck and shoulder.

He fought off the urge to let her continue, and pulled her arms away from him. "Really, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow," he said and backed away to hit the elevator button.

Frowning she leaned back against the wall, twisting her hands together. "Breakfast?"

"You got it babe." The elevator doors swung open and he gave her one final chaste kiss before stepping in. Once they had closed again she sighed and closed her apartment door. Well at least he was a good kisser.

--

**--beautymarked**


End file.
